Magnetic friction device for locomotives



(No Model.)

N. s. SEALER.

MAGNETIC FRICTION DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 333,554. Patented Jan. 5, 1886.

M I 5 5W5- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL S. SHALER, OF CAMBRIDGE, ASSIGNOR TO THEODORE DODGE, TRUSTEE,OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MA GNETIC FRICTION DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,554, dated January5, 1886.

Application filed April 4, 1884.

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, NATHANIEL S. SEALER,of Cambridge, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have inventedan Improvement in Magnetic Friction Devices for Locomotives, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,'is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing likeparts.

Locomotives are usually provided with boxes for carrying sand or gravel,which may be delivered through pipes in front of the contact-point ofthe drivingwheels with the rail, in order to increase the friction orbite of the Wheels, especially when the rails are wet or icy. This meansfor increasing the friction of the wheels is objectionable, from thefact that the sand is delivered very unevenly, it being frequentlyaccumulated in small heaps upon the rail, so that several layers of thesand become interposed between the wheel and rail, and the slidingmovement of one layer of particles upon another tends to diminish thefriction, rather than increase it; and, furthermore, the pulverizedmaterial left on the rails increases the resistance of the trainfollowing the locomotive. The sand usually employed is silicious orflinty in nature, and is not sufficiently hard to cut into the metallicsurfaces, so as to form a bond of union between them.

It has also been proposed to magnetize the wheels, so as to cause themto adhere more firmly to the rails, and also, in connection with suchmagnetized wheels, to use iron filings to increase the friction betweenthe rails and wheels, and in connection with the apparatus formagnetizing the wheels and distributing the iron filings brushes havebeen employed to collect the filings on the rail near the point touchedby the wheel. The best possible result is obtained by a single film offine hard particles interposed between the rail and Wheel-tread, so thateach particle will act at its opposite sides upon the two metallicsurfaces, cutting into them slightly, and thus forming, as it were, abond of union between the two.

My invention has for its object to attain such most beneficial result;and it consists, mainly, in the employment of magnetic material-such asmagnetic oxide of iron, or iron or steel fil- Serial No. 126,666. (Nomodel.)

wheel will be conveyed to the contact-point,

where they will operate to increase the friction to the largest possibleextent.

The invention also consists in suitable appliances for magnetizing thewheels, delivering the magnetic particles thereon, and removing thecrushed or pulverized material from the surface thereof after it haspassed the contactpoint with the rail.

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a locomotive provided withmeans for increasing the friction or bite of its wheels in accordancewith this invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 details, showing devices formagnetizing the wheels.

The locomotive A, of any usual construction, is shown as provided withthe usual sand-box, at, having delivery-pipes b, which preferably leadto the tread of the wheel at a point above its axle, instead of leadingdown to the track in front of the wheel, as has been heretofore commonlypracticed. The sand-box a will be filled with magnetic material-such aspulverized magnetic iron ore, which is considerably harder thanflint-sand, or, if desired, iron, or, preferably, steel filings may beused, or, in fact, any material which is composed of fine hard particlesthat will be attractedloy magnetism.

In order to convey the said material to the point of contact between therail R and wheel W, the latter is magnetized in any suitable way. Suchmagnetization may be accomplished by a series of strong steel magnetssuitably connected with the tire of the wheel; or, preferably, the saidwheel will have connected with its tire a number of iron or steel pins,0, (see Fig. 3,) constituting cores for coils d of wire, the terminalsof which coils are connected by wire ewith contact-rings ff on the axle,the wheel by which the said wire and coils d d may be placed in thecircuit of a suitable electrogenerator, G, shown as mounted on thetender and operated by a ICO belt from one of the axles of the saidtender. The circuit-wires 2 3, from the brushes or currentcollectors ofthe generator, are connected with contact-springs resting on thecontact-rings ff, so that while the generator is operating with itscircuit closed the tire of the wheel is magnetized, so as to attract andhold the particles issuing from the pipe I). The attraction of the wheelfor the rail also increases the holding power between them, and themagnetic particles sticking to the surface of the wheel will be carriedby it down to the rail, and passing between the wheel and rail will tendto cut into or adhere more strongly to each than the smooth surfaces ofmetals to each other, thus greatly increasing the holding power andneutralizing the effect of any material of alubricating nature or havinga tendency to diminish the friction or holding power between themetallic surfaces.

In order to prevent the crushed and ground material that has passedbetween the wheel and rail, and has lost its biting or frictionalproperties to a large extent, from being again carried to the point ofcontact, a suitable scraper or brush, 2', may be employed to wipe overthe tread of the wheel and remove such material therefrom. The pipe I)will be provided with the usual valve to control the discharge ofmaterial from the boxc, and the brushi may be properly arranged toberemoved from the surface of the wheel, except while the magneticmaterial is being delivered. The circuit of the generator G may beprovided with a switch to open its circuit, or its armature-shaft may bedisconnected from the actuating power when the holding power of thewheels does not need to be increased.

I claim- 1. A locomotive and receptacle for magnetic a cleaning devicefor removing the crushed material remaining on the wheel, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHANIEL S. SHALER.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, W. H. SIGsToN.

